Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Current Trends in Approaches to Prevent and Control Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquatic Veterinary Medicine.
- Journal:
- Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
- Year:
- 2025
- Authors:
- Zhao, Dongqing et al.
- Affiliation:
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine · Germany
Plain-English summary
Aquaculture, or fish farming, has been growing rapidly, but this has led to some serious problems, particularly the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. This is a big concern because the way antibiotics are used in fish farming can affect not just the fish but also other animals and even humans. The review discusses how improper use of antibiotics in aquaculture can lead to bacteria that are resistant to these drugs spreading to the environment. It also looks at alternative methods to help control bacterial infections in fish, such as vaccines, beneficial bacteria (probiotics), and other treatments that don't rely on traditional antibiotics. Overall, the focus is on finding safer ways to manage fish health without increasing the risk of AMR.
Abstract
The growth of aquaculture production in recent years has revealed multiple challenges, including the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic animal production, which is currently attracting significant attention from multiple one-health stakeholders. While antibiotics have played a major role in the treatment of bacterial infections for almost a century, a major consequence of their use is the increase in AMR, including the emergence of AMR in aquaculture. The AMR phenomenon creates a situation where antibiotic use in one system (e.g., aquaculture) may impact another system (e.g., terrestrial-human). Non-prudent use of antibiotics in aquaculture and animal farming increases the risk of AMR emergence, since bacteria harboring antibiotic resistance genes can cross between compartments such as wastewater or other effluents to aquatic environments, including intensive aquaculture. Transferable antimicrobial resistance gene (AMG) elements (plasmids, transposons, integrons, etc.) have already been detected in varying degrees from pathogenic bacteria that are often causing infections in farmed fish (Aeromonas, Vibrio, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Edwardsiella, etc.). This review of current veterinary approaches for the prevention and control of AMR emergence in aquaculture focuses on the feasibility of alternatives to antimicrobials and supplemental treatment applications during on-farm bacterial disease control and prevention. The use of vaccines, bacteriophages, biosurfactants, probiotics, bacteriocins, and antimicrobial peptides is discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40732727/